Life is hard. So hard that most people don’t want to add more difficulty to it. But there are a rare breed of people who enjoy the challenge of endurance sports: races of various sorts that push them to the end of their physical, mental, and emotional resources, and beyond. Travis Macy is one of those people. He’s an ultra racer who’s competed in many different endurance sports and has now released a new book that outlines the 9 strategies needed to live an “ultra” life. You’ll enjoy getting to know Travis and hearing about his book on this episode.

Your mind will give up long before your body will.

Endurance athletes like Travis Macy know that in the realms of life where you need to endure, your mind is the key area where you need to have strength. Though an ultra race does take a huge toll on your body, your body won’t be pushed as far as it could be if your mindset about the race is weak. Travis likes to talk on this subject and has included many tips and principles about a strong mindset in his new book, “The Ultra Mindset,” and you can hear every one of those principles on this episode of Crank It Up.

Learning to push through life’s obstacles and disappointments: the greatest skill you can have.

No matter how much “positive thinking” you practice, there’s always going to be a share of hardships that come your way. Whether it’s sickness, disappointment, or betrayals that come through the hands of others, you will experience difficulty. The way through those difficulties is not to ignore them, but to face them with a healthy, strong mindset that enables you to push through the pain or hardship to the better things that wait on the other side. In this episode Travis Macy gleans lessons from his experience as an elite athlete to help you think through the mindsets that fuel you through the most difficult times.

Never give up, except when you should give up.

It sounds funny, but that’s the title of one of the major principles in Travis Macy’s new book, “The Ultra Life.” What he means is that we all need to have an attitude of perseverance that enables us to keep chipping away at tasks, obstacles, or challenges until we overcome them. But there are things in life that we aren’t meant to be doing in the first place. When we come across those, the “chip away at it” mindset will not serve us well. Travis helps you think through the issues that go into whether a challenge is something you should seek to overcome, or something you should dismiss from your life altogether. You can hear his comments on that, on this episode.

What is Lifestyle Design?

Many people dream about the kind of life they want to have “someday.” But Travis Macy has learned that there are many things everyday people can do to design the life they want now. His experience in ultra racing has demonstrated to him that if you want something badly enough, you will find ways to make it happen. It’s true of your lifestyle as well. You can simplify certain areas of your life to make other areas you desire, more possible. Travis has some very practical tips toward that end, so make sure you take the time to listen.

Outline of this great episode

[0:48] David’s introduction and welcome to you and his guest, Travis Macy.

[1:37] Travis’ gratitude for the place he lives.

[2:12] The relationship between the mountains and the racing Travis does at high altitudes.

[5:40] What constitutes an “ultra” race and what it takes to be a professional endurance athlete.

[7:43] The mental game involved in ultra sports and learning to manage adversity.

[12:20] Travis’ most challenging experiences and the process he uses to manage his mindset.

[14:41] How to manage physical limitations or injuries but completing a race anyway.

[17:24] The typical athlete mindset.

[19:15] Travis’ experience in ultra racing: the journey he’s been on.

[26:10] Highlights from Travis’ book,